The Department of Defense has released a document detailing its policies, responsibilities and procedures for mitigating and responding to harm inflicted upon civilians during war scenarios.
The issuance of the Instruction on Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response is a step forward in implementing the CHMR Action Plan, which was ordered to be developed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, a three-time Wash100 awardee, in a January 2022 memorandum, the DOD said on Thursday.
The instruction aims to make sure necessary resources and capabilities are provided to operational commanders so they can implement law of war civilian protections and properly respond to incidents of civilian harm.
Protecting civilians from harm is a strategic priority and a moral imperative, Austin said in a memo accompanying the CHMR-AP, which was released in August 2022.
Efforts to ensure that civilian harm is prevented or addressed make the U.S. armed forces “the world’s most effective military force,” added Austin, who went on to say, “It is therefore critical that we continue to improve our efforts to mitigate the harm that armed conflict visits upon civilians.”
